Oldstones
Oldstones is the name given to the remnants of an ancient castle in the northern area of the Riverlands that once belonged to House Mudd, Kings of the Rivers and the Hills. Its original name has long been lost. The local smallfolk gave it its new name of "Oldstones". Layout The ruined stronghold sits on a hill above the Blue Fork of the Trident, viewing much of the surrounding area and granting it an advantageous position. Nothing but its foundations remain and a sepulcher of the ancient River King Tristifer IV Mudd, also known as The Hammer of Justice. The curtain wall of Oldstones once encircled the brow of the hill upon which it sits, like the crown on a king’s head. However only the foundation now remain and a few waist-high piles of crumbling stone spotted with lichen. Its foundations remain amongst the weeds to show where the walls and keeps had once stood, but the local smallfolk had long ago made off with most of the stones to raise their barns and septs and holdfasts. The only remnants of the keep are mossy hummocks, behind which is the Godswood of Oldstones. The same Godswood grew wild and unkempt during the hundreds upon thousands of years in which it wasn't taken care of. Nature took over even more than it does in other castles. Where the gatehouse once stood the ruins are more extensive and a rider must dismount to lead their horse through them. Once inside the vanished walls the weeds are chest high. Beneath the castle ruins, the lower slopes of the hill are thickly forested. There are gorse, bracken, thistle, sedge and blackberry bushes between pines and grey-green sentinels. Elsewhere skeletal elm, ash and scrub oaks choke the ground like weeds. The road up to Oldstones goes twice around the hill before reaching the summit. It is overgrown, stony and is slow going even in the best of times. History The castle now called Oldstones was the seat of House Mudd, who succeeded in unifying more of the riverlands than previous dynasties. During the Andal invasion, King Tristifer IV Mudd defeated King Roland II Arryn, beheading the Andal King of Mountain and Vale himself at Oldstones. However, the Mudds were eventually overwhelmed by Andal warlords such as Armistead Vance and their castle fell to ruin over the centuries. During the occupation of the riverlands by the Storm Kings, Ser Lymond Fisher, Knight of Oldstones, unsuccessfully claimed to be a river king. Recent Events The castle, abandoned and ruined for thousands of years, became a subject to renewed conflict after Lord Dagon Ironmaker showed interest in it, to the dismay of Lord Tristifer Tully, the Lord Paramount of the Riverlands. Some of the Ironborn showed interest in it, and a hundred men were stationed by the Ironmaker at Oldstones, to transfer the Ironborn ships from King's Landing to Ironman's Bay. By Lord Tully's request, five hundred men from House Mallister and House Blackwood each, were raised to be prepared for any possible scenario which could happen in the near future. Tensions surrounding the area are high, especially between the Riverlords and Ironborn. During the Council of Riverlords, it was accepted that work on Oldstones shall begin soon, and that the Ironborn may be removed from Oldstones soon. Category:Castles Category:Riverlands